Joey's Journal - August 31, 2006

Father, I thank You for watching over us while we slept and encamping Your angels to protect us from the evil that’s out there. We ask for Your continued provision and guidance for this day. Remind us at all times whenever we are in decision making situations this question – What Would Jesus Do? (WWJD?) May we stay in the path of following You. Keep my son, Joel, safe in school and my wife, Annabel, safe when she out of the house. May You manifest Your glory to her that You are in control of her life. May You keep my relatives safe as they travel back to Manila this afternoon. All these I pray in Jesus Name. Amen.

My Reading - Psalm 29 The voice of the Lord is powerful; hear Him.

The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea. The voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars; shatters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf and Mount Hermon to leap like a young bull. The voice of the Lord strikes with lightning bolts. The voice of the Lord makes the desert quake; the Lord shakes the desert of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks and strips the forests bare.

The Lord rules over the floodwaters. The Lord reigns as king forever. He gives his people strength and blesses them with peace.

My Reflection – After reading this psalm, I can’t help but think about a drill sergeant’s booming voice as he welcomes new recruits in military service. The voice of the drill sergeant is a new recruit’s first taste of military training and true enough, it is the voice that will grip fear in his mind to follow and obey orders. Should the new recruit fall short of the drill sergeant’s expectations, he will surely be required to take the punishment. His voice is the authority in the camp and everyone gets to recognize it without fail, even in their sleep.

Just like what the psalmist said, God’s voice is powerful and full of majesty. The psalmist goes to describing God’s powerful voice like a strong axe that can split the mighty cedars of Lebanon, and commanding enough to make Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf and Mount Hermon leap like a young bull. His voice is thundering enough and shoots lightning bolts and make the deserts shake and twists mighty oaks leaving them bare.

The powerful voices of the drill sergeant and the Lord accomplish two things – for us to hear it and obey it. Yet, God’s voice supercedes the drill sergeant’s in that, we are spiritually strengthened and blessed with the assurance of peace when we follow Him. Let us hear and obey His Word!

My Prayer – Heavenly Father, let me be reminded of Your mighty power through Your voice. As You speak, let me hear and obey You! In my sinful ways, may Your powerful voice make me turn and rebuke the evil one. Do not let me listen to the temptation of the enemy because I will again distance myself to You. Lord God, guide me through the path of righteousness and living a godly life. May I always fear not hearing Your voice! All in Jesus Name. Amen.

By : Joey B.

Joey's Journal - August 30, 2006

Father God, I offer my day to You today! May my works, joys and suffering be acceptable to You. Thank You for Your protection, providence and guidance. May Your hand be upon us to protect us from all evil and pain. Watch over the children and give us Your grace to be patient with them in times of disciplining and guidance. Lord, make this day be a fruitful one as I reflect on the Book of Psalms or other books in the bible. Guide my thought, words and my actions in living Your Word. All these I pray in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.

My reading - Psalm 28 The Lord is my strength, my shield from every danger.

O Lord, you are my rock of safety. Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help; as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary. With those who do evil, those who speak friendly words to their neighbors while planting evil in their hearts. Give them the punishment they so richly deserve! Measure it out in proportion to their wickedness. Pay them back for all their evil deeds! Give them a taste of what they have done to others.

Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord is my strength, my shield from every danger. He protects his people and leads them like a shepherd and carry them forever in his arms.

My reflection – ‘Those who speak friendly words to their neighbors while planting evil in their hearts’. When I think about this statement, I remember that this is one frailty that we all have as humans. And, this is in regards to how we treat our neighbor, our brother or sister, spouse, children, boss or staff etc. The definition of a ‘neighbor’ is any other person besides our self. In one occasion or another, we have done this in our lifetime. We speak good and friendly words about another person, yet we do not mean it and even plant evil thoughts about that person in our hearts. How many times have we said ‘hello’ to a co-worker and really meant it. Usually, it is a ‘ hello’ gesture, and then a thought comes to our mind like better not cross my path wrongly today. Or, we speak bad or spread rumors about the co-worker! Do we really mean it when we say ‘I love you’ to our spouses; or is it mainly lip-service? What did Jesus say about loving our neighbor? We should love them as ourselves! We will never tolerate rumors, especially bad and false, about ourselves. We will never accept gossips or simple talk that distracts us from the truth. If we don’t want these things happening to us, why then do we do it to others? This is when we need the Lord’s strength to make us strong and rebuke the evil one. The Holy Spirit is there to remind us how sin is against God and by doing this, we reject Him. But, when we have the Lord as our strength, He will shield us from the enemy.

My prayer – Our Father, keep us focusing on You and on the path of living godly lives! Jesus, You have set this example for us to follow in order to be acceptable to the Father. May we put complete trust in Your ways! Lord, we are sinners yet we long for Your mercy and forgiveness because we fear losing You. Remind us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves! And, should our sinful nature derail us from this objective, send Your Holy Spirit to strengthen us to change. All in Jesus Name. Amen.

By : Joey B.

Joey's Journal - August 30, 2006

Father God, I offer my day to You today! May my works, joys and suffering be acceptable to You. Thank You for Your protection, providence and guidance. May Your hand be upon us to protect us from all evil and pain. Watch over the children and give us Your grace to be patient with them in times of disciplining and guidance. Lord, make this day be a fruitful one as I reflect on the Book of Psalms or other books in the bible. Guide my thought, words and my actions in living Your Word. All these I pray in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.

My reading - Psalm 28 The Lord is my strength, my shield from every danger.

O Lord, you are my rock of safety. Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help; as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary. With those who do evil, those who speak friendly words to their neighbors while planting evil in their hearts. Give them the punishment they so richly deserve! Measure it out in proportion to their wickedness. Pay them back for all their evil deeds! Give them a taste of what they have done to others.

Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord is my strength, my shield from every danger. He protects his people and leads them like a shepherd and carry them forever in his arms.

My reflection – ‘Those who speak friendly words to their neighbors while planting evil in their hearts’. When I think about this statement, I remember that this is one frailty that we all have as humans. And, this is in regards to how we treat our neighbor, our brother or sister, spouse, children, boss or staff etc. The definition of a ‘neighbor’ is any other person besides our self. In one occasion or another, we have done this in our lifetime. We speak good and friendly words about another person, yet we do not mean it and even plant evil thoughts about that person in our hearts. How many times have we said ‘hello’ to a co-worker and really meant it. Usually, it is a ‘ hello’ gesture, and then a thought comes to our mind like better not cross my path wrongly today. Or, we speak bad or spread rumors about the co-worker! Do we really mean it when we say ‘I love you’ to our spouses; or is it mainly lip-service? What did Jesus say about loving our neighbor? We should love them as ourselves! We will never tolerate rumors, especially bad and false, about ourselves. We will never accept gossips or simple talk that distracts us from the truth. If we don’t want these things happening to us, why then do we do it to others? This is when we need the Lord’s strength to make us strong and rebuke the evil one. The Holy Spirit is there to remind us how sin is against God and by doing this, we reject Him. But, when we have the Lord as our strength, He will shield us from the enemy.

My prayer – Our Father, keep us focusing on You and on the path of living godly lives! Jesus, You have set this example for us to follow in order to be acceptable to the Father. May we put complete trust in Your ways! Lord, we are sinners yet we long for Your mercy and forgiveness because we fear losing You. Remind us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves! And, should our sinful nature derail us from this objective, send Your Holy Spirit to strengthen us to change. All in Jesus Name. Amen.

by : Joey B. 

Vallery's Sharing : 10 things we can learn from Hillsong Church

1. We are all leaders.

No matter what we do, we influence someone in one way or another. If you are a mom, dad, brother, sister, employer, employee or friend, you have someone in your world that you influence, either you do it on purpose or unconscious. So basically that is everyone!

God called us to be examples of Jesus. As Nelson Mandela said, we are born to manifest God’s glory.

Matthew 5:14-16 (ANIV)
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Some thoughts about being a good leader

a. A leader is not about a position or title but a person’s character
b. A leader is to be a good example (1 Tim 4:12-16)
c. A good leader shows honor and respect to others
d. A good leader takes initiative
e. A good leader cares more about his/her followers than themselves
f. etc

All the things a good leaders does all has to do with his/her character.

One thing I just want to re-emphasis is that a leader takes initiative. I see many people complaining about different things in church or in their life, but when asked to do something about it they say they cant or don’t want to.

Both a good leader and a good follower should always be up for a challenge.

2. Servant hood

In order to be a good leader you first need to learn how to be a good servant. You can’t lead if you can’t serve!

Matthew 20:25-28 (NLT)
But Jesus called them together and said, "You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them. [26] But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, [27] and whoever wants to be first must become your slave. [28] For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."

Matthew 23:11-12 (NLT)
The greatest among you must be a servant. [12] But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

How often do we see people as soon as they are given a higher position or a position of leadership, they suddenly are too good to get their hands dirty anymore. Pride is one of our biggest challenges. It was what caused Lucifer to fall. Let us not allow ourselves to become proud of ourselves. Don’t ever forget where you have come from and it is God who gave you the promotion.

3. Spirit of excellence

I have been told by Jeff that 2007 is the year of excellence for ICA.

Genesis 4:2-4 (NLT)
When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain was a farmer. [3] At harvest time Cain brought to the Lord a gift of his farm produce, [4] while Abel brought several choice lambs from the best of his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his offering, but he did not accept Cain and his offering. This made Cain very angry and dejected.

What do we give to God? Do you give him your best and finest work or do you give him whatever is left over?
Same in church,… do you give God your very best in music, worship, Sunday school, youth, greeting people, and even clean up? No matter how big or small your job is…. Are you doing it with excellence?
When you think of how much God loves you and what he has done on the cross for you, God totally deserves our very best!!!

4. Spirit of faith

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)
What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.

How much faith do you have to see people get healed, marriages and relationship restored, financial provision? How much do you believe God can do such miracles?

Matthew 10:1 (NLT) – Mark 3:15;6:7
Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.

Confess with your mouth and believe in your heart!!! Power of confession.

5. Discipleship

Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT)
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. [20] Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

ICA culture : people come and go. Don’t see it as a weakness but as an opportunity.

Titus 2 – encourages the church to disciple the people

Titus 2:14-15 (NLT)
He (Jesus Christ) gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right. [15] You must teach these things and encourage your people to do them, correcting them when necessary. You have the authority to do this, so don't let anyone ignore you or disregard what you say.

6. Open to change

In general, people don’t like change. They prefer stability because people like to feel in control but Change is something that is inevitable (something you cant avoid). Society changes every 10 year with a different generation. Even at ICA as I said before, people come and ago, there is a constant change of people coming to ICA. It has become part of the ICA culture, you have to be able to be flexible to change. Illustration: hillsong events department, ICA on the move – majapahit, heritage club, somerset, ptc.

7. Live under Kingdom principles, not the worldly principles

Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.

How often do people (or we ourselves) do things just because everyone else is doing it? How often do we use the excuse… it is trend or that’s just our culture?

“Jam karet” is one of the most common examples. Where in the bible does it say that is ok to be late? What I do know is that the bible teaches us to have integrity. Integrity means honesty, being honest. So when you say you will be there at 7, you are there at 7. or if you say the meeting starts at 5 then you start at 5. That’s called accountability.

8. Expand your territories

Where there is life, there must be growth! We need to continue to grow in our spiritual journey. Life is not a destination but a journey!
Allow yourself to grow and stretch yourself. Illustration: Body muscles – baby learning to walk, crawl, stand, walk, run

3 Major challenges every believer must fight against:
1. Spirit of familiarity – getting stuck in your comfort zone!
2. A negative spirit – fear, guilt, blame, lazyness
3. Pride

by : Vallery D

 

Joey's Journal - August 29, 2006

Dear Father, thank You for watching over us last night and giving us good night’s rest. Thank You for protecting us from the evil that’s out there. I give You this day my joys, works and sufferings. May they be pleasing and acceptable to You. Father, send Your angels to watch over Joel while he is at school; on his behavior and attentiveness to his teachers and schoolmates. May Your grace be with him; control his flaring temper with the nannies and us while at home. May You keep my wife safe and protected from all anxieties and distraction caused by the enemy. May You show her that You are in control of her life and she submits to You. All these I pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

My reading - Psalm 27 - If the Lord is with me, whom shall I fear?

O Lord, You are my light and salvation, so why should I be afraid? The Lord protects me from danger, so why should I tremble? When my enemies surround me and people dare to destroy me, they will stumble and fall. For I am confident with the Lord beside me. The one thing I ask of the Lord is to live in His house all the days of my life delighting in His perfections and meditating in His Temple. Because this is the place where You can give me shelter when trouble comes. You will place me out of reach from the enemy’s clutches. I will praise You O Lord.

Lord, teach me how to live; lead me along the path of honesty, for the enemy waits for me to fall from his traps. Don’t let me fall to his hands and I am confident that I will see the Lord’ goodness while I am here on earth. Amen.

My reflection – It was not in God’s plan that I have an older brother; He gave me older sisters. I remember this childhood friend who had an older brother. The brother was five years older than my friend. When we got in trouble with other kids our age, my friend’s older brother would always be there to protect, defend and even retaliate for his younger brother. My friend was relishing the thought that he could bully his way with other kids of same age. One day, he was in a predicament after roughing up another kid at school. This kid had an older brother too and my friend got a taste of his own medicine. He wasn’t able to call his older brother because he had to do errands for their mother. He wasn’t there to see for his own eyes what happened to his younger brother and therefore, could not and did not do anything. I was happy to have older sisters unlike my friend because I didn’t have to rely on them in times like these; if I was able to, I just avoided the situation all together.

It is a different protection and defense that God does for us. He knows our weakness and that is, falling to the enemy’s traps and lies. And we are not able to avoid temptation and lies from the evil one that’s why we call on God for help. Unlike the older brother, God watches over us every time and He will respond and protect us from the enemy. And, when we have God in us, we fear no evil. Great is our God!

My prayer – Heavenly Father, I pray that You will always be by my side; to protect me from the enemy. May You always guide to live a godly life so that I can stand in Your presence, pure and holy. Lord, I will fear no evil when You are with me. Amen.

by : Joey B 

Joey's Journal - August 28, 2006

Dear Father, I thank You for Your protection, provision and guidance in our lives. Lord, may I offer You all my joys, works and sufferings of this day and hope that they are pleasing and acceptable to You. May Your angels continue to watch over Joel while he is at school and to curve his attitude and behavior when his temper flares. May You also watch over my wife and protect her from all anxieties and temptation by the evil one and may she call on You for help. May we always stay focused to Your instructions and obey them wholeheartedly. May You continue to bless our loved ones, church friends and cell group members and colleagues and friends. All these I pray in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.

My reading - Psalm 26 - For the Lord, I will take a stand to do what is right

Lord and Father, declare me innocent for I have acted with integrity. I trusted in the Lord without wavering. Put me on trial, Lord and cross examine me; test my motives and affections. Because I am constantly aware of Your unfailing love, and I have lived according to Your truth. Don’t let me suffer the fate of sinners, nor condemn me along with murderers. Their hands are dirty with wicked schemes and they constantly take bribes. But Lord, I am not like them; I do what is right; so in Your mercy save me for I have taken this stand and publicly praise You.

My reflection – I ask myself, ‘do I really want the Lord to put me on trial and cross- examine me?’ There is no need for this because the Lord knows and sees all before I even think of what to say or do. The answer to the question really is how will the Lord judge me! As a sinner, I know of the gravity of the offence against God. I have hurt Him dearly with my disobedience to His laws and decrees; my impatience, unforgiving and uncaring behavior to others. As sure as the rising of the sun tomorrow, if I don’t change, I will not see God.

This is the key – to change my sinful self. The Lord Jesus asked His disciples to pick up their crosses and follow Him. I believe Jesus wasn’t asking them to die physically like He did, because He already did this. He has taken our past, present and future sins to the cross with Him. Jesus wants us to ‘die spiritually’. This means changing from our sinful nature and living a godly life so that we can stand pure in God’s presence.

Yes, this is a tall order Jesus presents to us. But if we acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have to follow His Ways. Our objective is to live daily more and more like He did. Tough, yes it will be tough and we will struggle just like all His disciples! But, we have a God, who has great love and compassion for us. He will be there to stretch out His Hand to pick us up when we stumble and fall along the way and bring us eventually back to Him. Great is our God!

My prayer - Our Father in heaven, I thank You for keeping me on the right path. Thank You for giving me patience, unselfishness, kindness and mercy to the people I have interacted with. Thank You for Your grace of goodness that my wife was able to meet up with my sister and her family for lunch. Thank You for Your presence while with them. Also, Lord, I know to change from my sinful ways is a tall order but with You in my heart and mind, I know that I will be successful. Stay with me always so I may be worthy of being in Your Presence. All these in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

by : Joey B

Chapter 11 Forgiveness: You don’t give – You don’t get

This chapter of the book emphasizes what Jesus said in the Gospel of Mark 11:24-26

‘Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But, if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.’

This is both mercy and a warning coming from Jesus. And when Jesus speaks, He wants us to take Him seriously. We cannot view what He says the way we view the other authorities or relations in our lives. When He says something, He means it. He is faithful even when we are faithless. So when Jesus said, ‘But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses’. He meant it.

And, Jesus says this many times in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.

‘For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’ Matt 6:14-15

‘Forgive, and you will be forgiven.’ Luke 6:37

‘And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.’ Matt 6:12

Here the author relates his personal experiences in his ministry of the consequences of having an unforgiving heart.

Ex. 1 – the story of a rich man who died and was outside the gates of heaven. Jesus was there and dealt with him about his disobedience. The man pleaded with the Lord that if He would extend his life, he would serve Him. The Lord consented but before sending him back to his body, he was shown a vision of hell. There he saw his wife’s mother burning in the flames of hell. The man was amazed because she had said the ‘sinner’s prayer’, confessed to being a Christian, and had attended church. Why is she in hell?
The Lord told him that she had refused to forgive a relative and therefore could not be forgiven.

Ex. 2 – the story of a wife who complained to the author about not experiencing the presence of the Lord even after going to every service. The author after praying with her, felt no sense of God’s presence at all. God spoke to the author and said ‘she is holding unforgiveness against her husband’. She agreed to this; ‘but have done my best to forgive him.’ But because of the horrible things he had done to her, she wrestled with forgiving him. The author explained God’s command and Jesus’ teaching about forgiveness;

‘For you to receive from God you must forgive. You cannot forgive him in your own strength. You must take this before God and ask God to forgive you. Then you can forgive your husband.’

She released her husband, said this simple prayer, wept and spoke in tongues for the first time. She experienced the presence of the Lord.

In Matthew 18, Jesus sheds further light on the bondage of unforgiveness and offence.

Peter asked, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’

Peter as always, talks before thinking and felt generous saying this, taking things to the extreme. Jesus saw through this question and gave a shocking response. ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’

In other words, forgive as God does, without limits.

Jesus explained the enormity of this statement through The Parable of the Talents. He shows the compassion and forgiveness of the master writing off the higher debt of a servant. But, the servant did not show mercy to a fellow servant owing a lower debt, Jesus shows our ‘true self’ in holding on to debt or offence.

The offences we hold against each other cannot be compared to our offences against God, yet God forgave by sending His only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins.

As a lesson to believers, Jesus explains the parable further that once the master heard of the unforgiveness by the servant to another, the master scolded and condemned the unforgiving servant and delivered him to the torturers until he pays the debt. And Jesus concludes, ‘my heavenly Father (like the master) also will do this to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.’

Three major points in these verses.

1. The unforgiving servant is turned over to torture.
2. He has to pay off the original debt
3. God the Father will do the same to any believer who doesn’t forgive.

The Bait of Satan
July 12, 2006

Joey's Journal - August 27, 2006

O Lord, I give You thanks and praise for taking care of us while we were sleeping. Thank You for giving us good rest and protecting us from the evil that is out there. Father God, I offer this Sunday worship service to You. May my heart be moved by Your Word as spoken by Senior Pastor Khong. May the FCBC congregation respond to the message of today and start the revival of Singapore. May my wife be touched by the Word and surrender herself to You as You show her Your awesome power. May the children also continue to be interested in Sunday school and be their stepping stone to knowing more about Jesus. All these in the Name of Jesus.  AMEN.

My reading - Psalm 25 - The Lord is good and does what is right

Lord, I lift up my soul; I trust in You, my God! Don’t let me be disgraced, or let the enemy rejoice in my defeat. Anyone who trusts in You will not be disgraced; but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others. Lord, You are so good and does what is right; show the proper path to those who go astray. You lead the humble in what is right, teaching them Your way. With Your unfailing love and faithfulness You lead all those who keep Your covenants and obey Your decrees.

O Lord, forgive my many, many sins. My eyes are always looking to You for help; for You alone can rescue me from the traps of the enemy. My problems go from bad to worst; O God, save me from them all! Protect me! Rescue my life from the enemy; for I put my hope in You, O Lord.

My reflection – As I read this psalm over and over again, my eyes focus on the line ‘anyone who trusts in You will not be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others’. My thoughts bring me back to a story of a finance manager who made a very major decision in his life. The company he worked for was being sued by two financial institutions. His boss called him to give an affidavit in court. And the affidavit was for him ‘to say under oath that he was threatened by the suing party and its lawyers with personal involvement and legal action if he didn’t divulge knowledge of its deals’. The story went on to say that the manager was very pressurized by the request and unforeseen outcome if he followed it. He weighed all the options of not following and thought of being out of a job as a result and how will he feed his family. He also thought of following the request and the result would possibly be in good standing with the boss and possible financial reward. The manager was confused and troubled when he discussed his situation with a good friend. The friend sympathized with him and said this in parting, ‘ask God to give you the strength and the wisdom to weigh the idea and do what is right.’

The manager did just that. In his quiet time alone with God, he sought His wisdom and prayed for His guidance. That same night he called his boss and told him about his decision of not doing the affidavit. On hearing this, his boss sounded disappointed but respected the choice. The manager felt at peace with himself and didn’t disgrace himself by doing the right thing in the eyes of God. Yes, maybe his boss felt betrayed by him but he would ‘heal later on’ as the company eventually won the lawsuit. God made sure that the manager didn’t disgrace himself in His eyes or the other friends and colleagues. By standing firm in doing the right thing, God’s favor rested with him and his family as He provided sufficiently for them.

My prayer – Dear God, I pray that Your Holy Spirit will be my alarm bell to do what is right and acceptable to You, whether in business or personal relations. Let Your love and compassion for me be in my heart always so that I can follow Your ways. Lord, as I live my days from now on, may the joy of being invited at Your Heavenly banquet be always in my mind. This is what I long for. Guide and protect me on the path towards You. All in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

by : Joey B 

Joey's Journal - August 26, 2006

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me another day on earth. Thank You for watching over my family last night; the boys and their nannies having a good night’s rest and my wife coming safely home. Lord, today I lay at Your feet all my joys, works and sufferings and may they be acceptable and pleasing to You. Let me stay focus to You and be by my side all day. When certain situations arise and I am needed to make a decision, may Your wisdom be with me and always remember WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?). Take away from my mind all the anxieties and distractions brought about by the evil one. All these in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

My reading - Psalm 24 - Who will enter and stand in God’s presence?

God created the earth and everything in it is his! The world and all its people belong to him; for he has laid earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths. Who will stand in God’s holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never lies. They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have right standing with God the savior. They alone will enter God’s presence and worship the God of Israel.

My reflection – ‘Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never lies.’ If you think about this statement, really think about it – this statement reminds us about the two greatest commandments of God, that is, it refers to loving God and loving our neighbor. This is its foundation! And, if we do these, we will receive the Lord’s blessing and have right standing with God.

But, we have to have pure hands and a pure heart to love God and our neighbor. As I said in previous psalms, the most difficult to achieve is loving our neighbor because of our human frailty, self-centeredness in other words, our wanting to outdo others. However, in my recent readings, I have changed my mind to thinking loving God is the most difficult. How do I TRULY love God? To truly love God, we need to acknowledge Him, obey His Word and follow His Ways with a pure heart. All three words we think are easy but if we go deeper to their real meaning and requirements, we probably say, ‘it is tough!’ Yes, it is tough and that’s why we need all the help from our Lord. Without His help and guidance, we can not do it.

So, to stand in the presence of God, we need God to help us to lead us in the righteous path, the godly one.

My prayers – Gracious Father in heaven, teach me to truly love You. Lord, You have given up Your only Son, Jesus to die for my sins and be restored back to You. I can only think that it is just right to obey and follow Your ways. All I want is to be worthy of standing in Your presence at the final judgment. I know good deeds alone will not earn my salvation but acknowledging You, obeying You and following You, will be pre-requisites for getting that heavenly banquet invitation. May I lead a life from now on that will be pleasing and acceptable to You. All these I pray in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

by : Joey B

Joey's Journal - August 25, 2006

Dear God, I give You thanks and praise for watching over us last night. Thank You for Your comforting hands to get Joel to finally have some rest and sleep after waking up crying due to a bad dream. Also, for Joshua who was awaken by his brother’s voice and wanted to play rather than sleep. Thank You for finally making them sleep at 12 midnight. I thank You too, for watching over Annabel while she was out last night and bringing her safely home. Thank You, Father God. May our day be blessed in following Your Word. May You be in control of our lives. I rebuke all anxieties and distractions coming from the enemy and live more godly today. Take care of Joel in school. All in the Name of Jesus. Amen.


My reading - Psalm 23 – The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need

The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful waters. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You welcome me as a guest, anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.


My reflection – What a wonderful psalm this is from David! It is a prayer of affirmation that when God is with us, we will be safe and protected; sufficiently provided for and with abundant blessings. Yes! This is a prayer of affirmation of a loving and caring shepherd who watches over his herd of sheep; nurturing, protecting and guiding them from young to maturity. God, our Father, is like our shepherd, guiding us to right paths, protecting us from the evil one and providing for our daily lives. He is really an awesome God! And, if He is with and in my heart, I have everything I need!

During my primary school days in the Philippines, the Jesuit fathers were my mentors. ‘The Lord is My Shepherd’ was taught to us as a song in order for us to remember the words. At school, every Friday is dress up day for an all-school mass and celebration. We always sang this first part of the song………

My shepherd is the Lord, nothing indeed shall I want.

My shepherd is the Lord, there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures, where He gives me repose.
Near restful waters He leads me, to revive my drooping spirit.

My shepherd is the Lord, nothing indeed shall I want.

As Christians, we should remind ourselves to say this prayer of affirmation while in our quiet time with the Lord. By saying this, we rebuke the powers of Satan and what his legions are doing to us because the Lord, like a good shepherd, watches us with love, compassion and mercy. And lastly, we acknowledge that the Lord our Father has prepared a heavenly banquet for us when we meet with Him face to face and we will share in it permanently.

My prayer – Dear Father, You are all I want. You are all I long for. Let me stay focused to You. Be by my side always. Protect me from all that is evil. Guide me in Your ways to do good and be caring to others. Invite me to Your heavenly Kingdom where I will be permanently with You. All in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

by : Joey B

Joey's Journal - August 24, 2006

Our Father in heaven, I offer this day to You; my works, joys and sufferings. May they be pleasing and acceptable to You. Thank You for watching over us and giving us this day to live for You. Lord, I commit my son, Joel into Your guiding hands and keep him safe and obedient in school. And, when he is home this afternoon, I pray Your grace to be with him and us; obedience for him to our instructions and patience for us to discipline him. Help Carlyn take care of the two boys tonight as Maria is away. May I spend today being more close and focused to You and Your Ways as I continue reading Psalms. I pray all these in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

My reading - Psalm 22 - No one else can help me except You, Lord!

Everyday I call to you, my God; but you do not answer. Have you forsaken me? Why do you remain distant and ignore my cries? Yet you are holy, and the praises of Israel surround your throne. Our ancestors trusted you and you rescued them; they were never disappointed. But I am scorned and despised by all; everyone mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads and say, ‘Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him! If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!’

Don’t stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me. My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls, like roaring lions attacking their prey. My life is poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength has dried up like the sun-baked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth, and you have laid me in the dust and left me for dead. My enemies surround me like packs of dogs. They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count every bone in my body. My enemies stare at me and gloat; they divide my clothes among themselves.

Show the Lord reverence, all you descendents of Israel; for he has not ignored the suffering of the needy. He has not turned and walked away, and has listened to their cries for help. All who seek the Lord will praise him; their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy. The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and will return to him. People from every nation will bow down before him; for the Lord is king! He rules all the nations. Future generations will also serve him; our children will hear about the wonders of the Lord.

My reflection – After reading the psalm, I can’t help but put myself in David’s shoes and try to experience this situation he was in, being hunted by his enemies and fearing for his life. Facing certain death at the hands of his enemies, he cries out to the Lord to rescue him and describes how he feels. Scary for the most part of what he goes through thinking about death. But, he called on God to help and rescue him. And, God responded.

Oftentimes in my reading the psalms, I flashback to the car accident I had last year. I still clearly recall the events from the start; seeing that the car’s brakes would not be enough to safely avoid the mishap, my body being thrusted forward because of the braking motion and my mind thinking we would definitely hit the truck in front of us. Even for those seconds I was staring death in the face. Did I call on God’s help? I really don’t think so! Because it was only after the accident happened did I think of God. And, I even called out to Him and said, ‘Why?’ and had that voice encounter with Him. I was complaining to God why He let this happen now after committing myself to serving Him in our church in Surabaya. I vividly tried to move and lift myself up; my arms, shoulders, hands and legs but to no success. Even when the on-lookers were taking me out of the car, I was saying to my driver, ‘Saya mati! Saya tidak boleh krassa dan mundur! Anakku masih mudah.’(I am dead! I can not feel anything or move! My children are still young). While being transported to the nearby small hospital, I kept thinking about paralysis from neck down and could not walk, move or function normally. It was really scary! And, I called on the Lord to help me recover from this serious accident and help me walk again.

Like with David, God answered my call for help. He sent His Holy Spirit to my pastor and his wife to inform as many church members and friends and start the prayer brigade for God’s hand to be with me while in the hospital and that there will be no serious or unrecoverable injuries. My pastor when he saw me the next day, told me that God will fully restore me and I should claim His promise daily!

My prayer – Heavenly Father, may I always stay focused to You. May I always remember You are there by my side. Should I stumble or become weakened by the enemy, may Your Holy Spirit be my alarm bell to rebuke the bait of Satan and stay on the right path with You. May I always remember in my quiet time, to worship You; in my tough times, to trust You; in my happy times, to praise You and all the time, to thank You! All these I pray in Jesus Name. Amen.

by : Joey B

Joey's Journal - August 20, 2006

Our Father in heaven, thank You for loving me; thank You for the protection over my family; and thank You for giving us another day here on earth. Lord, today is Worship Service and I look for Your inspiring words to move me as it is said by Pastor Khong. May Your Word hit a raw nerve in my heart to follow it in my objective of saying Jesus is the Lord of my life. May I be reassured that when I pick up my cross and follow You, I will not falter or stumble due to hardship or weakening of the spirit. May You be always at my sights and nothing else matters except the thought of being with You always all the days of my life.

Father, thank You for today and the chance to hear Your Word in church. May my example be a blessing to my family. All in Jesus Name. Amen.

My reading - Psalm 18 The Lord rewards those who do right.

In contrast, the Lord’s wrath will fall on the wicked. His anger will make the earth quake and tremble; foundations of mountains will shake; smoke will come out of His nostrils and fierce flames from His mouth. He will come down from the heavens and mounted on a mighty angel, will soar in the wings of the wind covered by darkness and concealing His approach with dense rain clouds. He will breakthrough from the clouds and shoot His arrows and scatter the enemies confused. His breath will blast and the bottom of the sea will be seen and everything of the previous earth will vanish. The foundations of a new earth will be laid bare. (perhaps the psalmist is speaking about the second coming.)

(Here is King David’s affirmation of God rescuing him from all his enemies and from Saul.)

To the faithful, You will show yourself faithful; to those with integrity You show integrity; to the pure You show yourself pure; but to the wicked You show Yourself hostile. As for God, His way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection. For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock?

You gave me victory over my enemies and appointed me as the ruler of all nations; people I don’t even know now serve me. As soon as they hear of me, they submit; foreigners cringe before me. They all lose their courage and come trembling from their strongholds. The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock!

My reflection – I can’t help thinking about David’s jubilation after the Lord rescued him from his enemies and Saul who were trying to hunt and kill him. During his plight from his enemies, I can picture from the previous psalms of his fear of death while his enemies gloat at him. I can see a young David who did everything good and pleasing to God, yearned for His help. Also I saw God’s compassion to David and poured out His mercy to His Anointed One. God’s love and favor moved from Saul to David and He protected him and gave him the kingdom of Israel to rule.

Just like how are earthly fathers, when we were young, rewarded us when we did the right thing and punished us for doing wrong. It is with great love and compassion that we display this to our children. I still think that if we, as earthly fathers, showed this love and compassion to our children, what more from our Father, who wants us to be with Him permanently in heaven. In comparison, I showed love and compassion to correct and discipline my son, Joel a couple of days ago. God also did this to David; He brought David to the caves during his plight, living away from Saul’s palace and testing and strengthening his character to persevere during times of adversity and preparing him for ruling Israel. Joel did something wrong and he had to be disciplined and punished accordingly. Although our heart aches and bleeds when we do this to our children, it is quite necessary and this corrective action will build their character for their own good when they’re grown up. God’s heart aches and bleeds too when we hurt Him by doing wrong but He forgives and still sends us His love and offers us salvation so we can enjoy His presence forever.

My prayer - Father in heaven, thank you for giving me the grace of wisdom to understand Your word in the book of Psalms. Especially with David’s plight and hiding from his enemies and from Saul, he was really after Your heart during times of anguish and fear because he placed his trust in You. He knew You will be his deliverer. Lord, during my trying hours when the evil one attacks or plants evil thoughts in my mind, may You strengthen me and be my deliverer. May I seek You more and more and sing praises to You in good times and bad. Lord, allow me not to lose focus in You and be my shield daily from the arrows of the enemy. May Your name and glory be always in my mouth as I spread Your word. All these I pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

By Joey B

Joey's Journal - August 19, 2006

Heavenly Father, I ask for Your continued protection, provision and guidance in my life and my family. Lord, may we always give You the controls of our lives and trust in Your ways. Thank You for Your protection over Annabel last night and for bringing her safely home. I also give You thanks and praise for giving the children good sleep and their nannies good rest. May I have full focus on Your ways and obey Your instructions. May You send Your Holy Spirit to remind us about Your love and forgiveness and may we give You in return our obedience this day and the rest of our lives. All in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

My reading - Psalm 17 The Lord shows his unfailing love in wonderful ways

Lord, You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart; You have scrutinized me and found nothing amiss for I am determined not to sin; followed Your commands; my steps have stayed on Your path and I have not wavered from following You. I know You will answer my prayer because You save those who seek refuge in You from the enemy. Guard me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings; protect me from wicked people who attack me. And because, I have done what is right, I will see You and will be fully satisfied for I will see You face to face.

(Omitted purposely David’s call for God’s wrath to befall against his enemies, their children and their children’s children and so on.)

My reflection – My thoughts after reading David’s psalm are with full adoration and awe in the Lord’s unfailing love and compassion. We have read about David’s life after slaying the Philistine giant, Goliath and being favored by King Saul in his rule. Even though he was God’s Anointed One and gave the kingdom of Saul to him, became king of the Israelites, yet he still fell to the traps of the evil one. The most heinous crime he committed was taking someone else’s wife and sending the husband to inevitable death. (2 Samuel 9). Our God and all-knowing Father already saw that this will happen during King David’s rule but yet, He still rested His favor on him. God knew of all the inequities of King David yet He blessed and prospered him, stood beside him and David’s house continued to rule Israel under his son, Solomon.

In our Christian walk today, when we sin against God for disobeying His commands, do we ask for mercy and repent for our evil deeds. God’s unfailing love and compassion are shown to those who repent and do away with sin in their lives. They are forgiven and blessed as they stay godly obeying God’s will.

My prayer – Almighty Father, You know what is in my heart. You have examined and scrutinized it. I am a sinful man with many sins in the past; sins of disobedience, evil thoughts, desires and actions, greed and idolatry believing in the pursuit of material earthly things. I confess these to You and lay them on Your feet. I hope for Your unfailing love and compassion to have mercy on me; forgive me for my sins. May Your grace refresh me and give me strength to push on staying in the righteous path to You. Send Your Holy Spirit to remind me of my ultimate goal – to attain salvation and spend permanent days with You in heaven. All these in Jesus Name. Amen.

By Joey B

Joey's Journal - August 18, 2006

Father in Heaven, I give You thanks and praise for keeping us safe while we slept. Thank You for giving us another day on earth to do godly deeds and obey Your laws. Keep us today focused to You, Father God and our lives be worthy and pleasing to You. I commit my son, Joel in Your protection and safeguard. Send Your angels to watch over him and his behavior at school. May his temper be controlled and rude attitude be changed. Thank You Lord for keeping my wife protected last night and bringing her safely home. I offer my day’s works, joys and sufferings to You. May I continue to be blessed in reading the book of Psalms and may You guide my thoughts and heart with my reflections and prayers. All in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

My reading - Psalm 16 When the Lord is with me, I will not be shaken!

Lord, You are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You protect all that is mine; the land You have given me is a pleasant land. I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart tells me You are right beside me. No wonder I am filled with joy and I sing praises to You. For You will not leave my soul among the dead or allow me to rot in the grave. You will show me the way of life as I stand with joy in Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever.

My reflection – This psalm of David reminds me of the prayer of Jabez. ‘O Lord, bless me indeed. Enlarge my territory. May Your Hand be on me to keep me from harm and be free of pain. And, because Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, God granted his request.’ (1 Chronicles 4:9-10) It was a simple prayer but yet important that Jabez professed to God and the Lord heard his prayer. Why was Jabez’s prayer placed along God’s lineage of the leaders of His Chosen people? There must have been a purpose; it is a simple yet important prayer from an honorable man. The main thing here is that God saw Jabez as more distinguished or more godly than his brothers. Even though, his mother gave him a name not to be admired because it meant ‘his birth had been so painful’, God granted his prayer. David talks about this pleasant land God has given him and asks for the Lord’s protection and guidance in his life, watching him closely and never leaving his side.

When we look to the Lord and ask for His blessings of provision, protection, and guidance, the Lord will respond to our call and we hope we are worthy enough for Him to grant our requests just like what He did for Jabez and David. The main word here is whether we are worthy; meaning are we continuously living a godly life, honorable and pleasing to God? And, when the Lord answers our request, His favor rests with us and, we will not be shaken!

My prayer – Father in heaven, may You continue to shower us with Your abundant blessings of protection, provision and guidance. May our walk with You be acceptable and pleasing, worthy to be at Your side and stand in Your presence. Father God, may You watch over us, examine us and scrutinize us in order for us to be godly here on earth. It is gong to be tough Lord, but I know You will be with us and keep us from the clutches of Satan. May You enlarge my territory and may Your hand be with me and keep me from harm. I pray these in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

by Joey B

Joey's Journal - August 17, 2006

Last night while Joel was playing his game boy, Joshua wanted to ‘sayang’ his brother but accidentally hit him instead on the head. Joel who probably felt the pain or could have been disturbed while playing, retaliated and tried to hit back. Carlyn was able to hold his one hand holding on the game boy but couldn’t stop the other hand. Joshua was hit on the right cheek and cried. Carlyn hit Joel on the rear end and I heard the cries and commotion. I called Joel out shouting at the top of my voice. Joel, in defense said, his brother hit him first. I scolded him for doing this and told him Joshua is still a baby and doesn’t know if he hurts someone or not. Also told Joel that Joshua is his younger brother and rather than hurt him, he should look after him and be his protector when they are grown. While I was driving this point to him, I could see his displeasure and his wanting to vent his anger at me. I told him he should not be like this and if does this hitting his brother again, he will get a real serious spanking from me, one that he will feel so much pain. I banged the desk with my left hand so hard so that he will know, I can still give him a painful spanking. I told everyone not to talk to him as punishment for his actions. He walked off with such an angry and displeased face. I reminded him again to stay away from Joshua and sit in the living room so I can see him.

After a while watching TV, he said he was hungry and wanted his food right away. His mom called earlier and told the nanny, Maria that she was bringing cheese pizza for his dinner. Joel waited but was very hungry so he asked Maria for some food first and will still eat the pizza later. Finally, his mom came and gave him the pizza. She stayed with him for 5 mins and said she had to go out again because she forgot to buy the newspaper. Joel didn’t create a fuss unlike before with his mom leaving the house in the evening because he was really hungry. About 45 mins later, he washed up after taking his dinner and went straight to bed without saying goodnight or asking about his mom who was still out.

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for watching over us last night while we were resting. Thank You for keeping us safe from the enemy. Lord, I also thank You for sending the Holy Spirit last night and I was able to control my anger at Joel. I hope and pray that my disciplining Joel last night will work positively on him and he would not repeat this incident. I am sorry that I had to raise my voice and display what Joel will get should he do this again. Father, I pray that he would have a change in attitude towards disciplining from us and know this is for his own good. May You watch over him today at school that he behaves well and obeys instructions from teachers. Lastly, may You watch us today and keep us protected from the evil one’s works and temptation. I pray all these in Jesus Name. Amen. 

My reading - Psalm 15 Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?

O Lord, who will be saved and enter Your kingdom to stand in Your presence? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right; speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to slander others or harm their neighbors, or speak evil of their friends. Those who despise persistent sinners and honor the faithful followers of the Lord and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who do not charge interest on the money they lend, and who refuse to accept bribes to testify against the innocent. These people will stand firm forever!


My reflection – Why does David clearly define ‘the treatment we give to our neighbor’ as a pre-requisite to enter God’s kingdom. Aside from clean and blameless living for ourselves, He speaks of our treatment to others like not slandering others, harming others or speaking evil of others as tantamount to our salvation. He also clearly points out that people who charge interest for money lent or accept bribes to testify against the innocent will not be in God’s presence. Jesus also proclaims this statement of ‘loving your neighbor as yourselves’ as one of the two greatest commandments of God. The other, of course, is ‘love God with all your heart, your soul and strength’.

These two commandments, I believe can not go without the other. To love God with your all also means to follow and obey Him. And, in our obedience to Him, we have to deal with others in the world. Jesus, in His ministry on earth, was asked by His disciples a question – who will inherit the Kingdom of God? And, Jesus responded by saying ‘I was hungry and you feed me; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you invited me to your house; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; and I was in prison and you visited me’ and He added ‘whoever does these things to the least of my brothers and sisters will enter the Kingdom.’ In obeying God’s Word and following how Jesus lived, we have to love them just like we love ourselves hoping for that invitation to gain entrance to the Kingdom of God.

My prayer – Lord, may the two greatest commandments You have given be always in my heart. May I exercise them in my life especially wanting to know more of You and being with You always. May I always long for You and may I follow Your example of loving our neighbor wholeheartedly. I pray these in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

by Joey B
 

Joey's Journal August 16, 2006

Dear Father, I thank and give You praise for Your protection on my household. Lord, I offer to You my joys, works and sufferings of this day; may they be pleasing to You as I continue to walk with You. May Your grace always be with me to have humility, patience, kindness and forgiveness to the people I will be dealing with this day. Gracious God, may Your Holy Spirit watch over me and be my alarm bell when I swerve away from the righteous path. I also pray my loved ones, wife and children and relations and nannies to be under Your watchful eyes and protection. All in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

My reading - Psalm 14 Will those who do evil never learn?
The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; He looks to see if there is even one with real understanding, one who seeks for God. But no, all have turned away from God and all have become corrupt. No one does good, not even one! Terror will grip the evil doers for God is with those who obey him; the Lord will protect and restore his people and salvation would come from Mount Zion.

My reflections – This is a clear warning to those who do evil! For God knows everything that happens to us. And if we do evil, we should be gripped with fear because of God’s wrath. But, for those who obey Him, they will be protected and salvation will be with them. I believe the major word here is ‘obey’; and it is the most difficult instruction to follow in our Christian walk. A Christian can say the sinner’s prayer and profess his belief in Jesus who died for his sins and accept Him as Lord and Savior, but after that what happens to his life. Most often, this person thinks he has been promised the salvation and is unaware of his disobedience to God and His decrees. What happened when he accepted Jesus was more of giving God lip-service and then, resorting to his old self.

The righteous things we do after accepting Jesus is what counts. We are all sinful people and can easily ‘go back to our old self’. This is when we need Jesus’ strength to get us through these sinful phases in our lives when we are weak and can easily fall to Satan’s traps. His Holy Spirit will be our helper in advising us to avoid sinful thoughts, desires and actions. All Christians are not assured of salvation to God’s Kingdom. It is a requirement to acknowledge God and believe that He sent His Son to die and wipe away our sins, but our response and follow through to this belief is the one that will save us, and this is living a godly life and obeying God’s laws. 

My prayer – O Lord, I am grateful for Your Hand to be guiding and protecting me on the right path. May I stay dedicated to living a life that is godly and pleasing to You. Although in my trying times, I stumble and fall, may Your grace help me to get up and be reminded of Your forgiveness and love. Lord, keep me focusing on You and the salvation You offer. I pray in Jesus Name. Amen.

by Joey B

Joey's Journal August 14, 2006

My God, praise and thanks I offer You for taking care of us last night; giving the children a good night’s sleep and rest for the nannies; bringing my wife safely home and keeping all loved ones and relations protected. I thank You for letting me wake up to another day yet always longing to be with You when You call me. May Your blessings be upon us as we live this day. May You guide us today to be more and more like Jesus as we proclaim He is the Lord of our lives. May You keep Joel safe when he is in the bus, in school and in their field trip at Raffles Hotel. Keep him attentive and obedient to his teachers and his temper controlled. May today be a blessing to us and the people we interact with. I pray these in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

My reading- Psalm 12 Where are the godly?

Help O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished the earth! Neighbors lie to each other; speaking with flattering lips and insincere hearts. They will lie to their hearts’ content and say – who can stop us? But the Lord sees all the violence done to the helpless and have heard their groans. Now He will rise up to rescue the godly, who fear the Lord. The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over. Therefore the Lord will protect the godly and preserve them forever.

My reflections – I thought to myself, ‘why is the psalmist saying the godly are fast disappearing?’ I asked myself was this also happening then in the psalmist’s time? Evil and wicked people and things abound then. Now, we are more sophisticated and quite modern. Take away crimes like murder, rape, robbery, debauchery and other serious ones, what is prevalent today are lying, slandering, cheating, gossiping, philandering, womanizing, drinking etc. These are modern words saying the same evil things. Living on earth now is no different from when the psalmist lived back then.

Yes, the godly is fast disappearing. The people who fear the Lord are diminishing. Have they been swallowed by the wickedness of this evil world? Has the evil one placed his mark on his captives enticing others with material possessions so that they can follow their ways? No! I know there are still many out there who fear the anger of the Lord and by doing evil, they forfeit their invitation to the heavenly banquet God has prepared for us. These are the people who will stand firm because God is beside them and they engage in spiritual warfare with the enemy. Like the early prophets and followers of Jesus, they stood firm and upheld their faith and trust that they will be saved even with certain death staring them in the face. These were the godly people and they were let in to God’s heavenly feast and will live forever with the Lord.

My prayer – God, our Father, send me Your Holy Spirit to remind me to live a godly life. Keep me in the right path with Your decrees and help me be obedient to Your laws. I am a sinful man Lord, forgive my transgressions against You and my neighbor. Allow Your grace to change me and not forsake me to be given to the hands of the evil one. Breathe Your strength in me so that I can be firm like Your followers, fearing the lost of Your love and compassion. May I live more and more in the likeness of how Jesus lived then. All these I pray in the Holy and Precious Name of Jesus, who took our sins and nailed them on the Cross with Him. Amen.

By : Joey B 

Joey's Journal August 13, 2006

Got up at 6:20 am and prepared to get ready for Sunday service. At 7:30 am, Joel and Joshua woke around the same time and the nannies were getting them ready. Annabel got up at 8:00 am when Joel went inside the room to wake her up. Had their light breakfast and we left at 8:35 am for FCBC at Singapore Expo.

While being transferred from car to wheelchair by Carlyn, Tommy from Special People Ministry (SPM) came over to help and informed us about cell group meeting. Informed Annabel that after church, SPM will have cell meeting. Wheeled in place with other wheelchair bound people; said hello to Mrs. Koh who was beside me and saw brother Joseph, who was not present for 4 weeks. Glad he is back with us. Praised and thanked God for all SPM volunteers, Pastor Patrick, Joanna and Viola. It was great to see them.

Worship was led by the Planet Shakers from Australia and the whole place was rocking. Worship songs were great and very moving. FCBC was jumping and rocking the whole Max Pavillion. The song ‘Evermore’ was really moving and touched many people in the congregation; words of the refrain went like this.

‘You are my God, my life, my all;
And I’ll live for You alone.,
I am Yours Evermore.
Heaven and earth will shout Your praise,
The wonder of Your Name,
I’ll be Yours Evermore.’

It was an awesome sight! Senior Pastor Khong’s message was titled ‘If we want to proclaim Jesus is Lord, we have to go beyond religious beliefs, rules and authority’ which is taken from Col 2. After service, I met with the cell group comprised of 6 wheelchair bound people. Leader spoke from the book of Daniel and how a servant like Daniel was favored by God; and how God used him to draw the masters and other servants to His Glory. Like Daniel, we have to stand firm in our belief and trust in God; meaning we have to deal with ourselves internally first. When we have done this then, God will do the external part of rewarding and blessing us and even using us to bring in the unbelievers to be saved as we live here on earth.

My reading - Psalm 11 The Lord watches us closely

I trust in the Lord for protection, so do you say to me, ‘Fly to the mountains for safety! The wicked are stringing their bows and setting their arrows in the bow strings. They shoot from the shadows at things who do right. The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?’ But, the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from the heavens. The Lord watches everything closely, examining everyone on earth; examining both the righteous and the wicked. He is righteous and he loves justice and those who do what is right will see his face.

My reflection - I remember this story of a teenager who got caught shoplifting a 40 cent pen at the neighborhood drugstore. When he was apprehended by the store security, he quickly pulled his wallet and offered to pay for the item. The store manager, when he was questioning him, recognized the boy who lived a few houses away from his. He also didn’t tell him that the boy’s father and he were close friends back when they were in school. He interrogated him like any other shoplifter whether he lifted goods worth 40 cents or ten dollars, to prove a point – it was wrong and if this goes unpunished, there is great probability that this offence will continue. He called for the boy’s father to inform him what had happened and told him that he wanted to teach the boy a lesson. The father was furious about his son’s actions but went along with the store manager’s plan for corrective action. They planned for the father to agree on whatever punishment the store manager gives out on the boy and it was to work as a drugstore bag boy and assist older customers with their purchases for a whole month. The boy really thought hard about his punishment, sometimes shaking his head and saying, ‘this punishment does not fit my shoplifting a 40 cent pen; where is the fairness in this?’ But, unwillingly he did his punishment at his father’s insistence or it would be worst at home.

Sometimes we think we can get away with our offence against God. Maybe we think, it is a small offence and God will not be angry. How terribly wrong we are! An offence whether how small or how serious, is an offence against God. God always watches us very closely from heaven and He knows our every move even before we think or act on it. He gives us a free will to decide what we want to do – good or bad.

My prayer – Almighty Father, this morning I got up with a bright outlook and hope that today’s sermon would touch our hearts in a special way. And once again Lord, You guided my heart to reach out more for You and proclaiming that Jesus is the Lord of my life. The worship song ‘Evermore’ led by the Planet Shakers from Australia, was very inspiring and moved a lot to tears. Thank You for speaking through Senior Pastor Khong’s message that we long to bring our personal relationship with You to a higher level, beyond religious beliefs and rules and authorities. The new life that Apostle Paul spoke in Colossians must be higher than all these because God wants us to be more and more like Jesus and these rules like religious rituals and beliefs were surpassed by His love for mankind.

Father, teach me to be like Jesus; to follow His example of servant-hood humility, unfailing love, compassion and forgiveness. May I be worthy to even be guided by You to do these to others, especially my loved ones. Open my heart to understand Your word and know that You have been speaking to me through my readings. All these I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen.

Today is the birthday of our eldest sister, Maribel who resides with her husband, Eddie in Japan. I sent her my birthday greetings and offered a prayer for both for their relationship to be more focused to God even in their present ages. There are no age boundaries in serving God as Moses and Abraham did. It is that first step that is difficult to proclaiming that Jesus is Lord of their lives. But with God’s strength and grace, anything can be done! Amen.

by : Joey B 

Joey's Journal August 12, 2006

 I woke up when Carlyn switched the light on. It was still dark outside as I looked at the clock and figured it’s going to rain again. She got me up and transferred me to the wheelchair. After washing up, I asked her to put me by the computer so I can write down my daily opening prayer. Before I could start, Joel comes out of his room and says, ‘Dad, I have this line on my leg, what is it?’ I looked at it and told him it was a scratch, maybe from playing with Joshua last night. I asked him if he was feeling better after the stomach flu virus and he said yes, but he still felt warm last night due to a slight fever.

Dear Father in heaven, I thank you for watching over us and keeping us safe. I thank you for a peaceful night for the boys and their nannies. I thank you for calming down Joshua when he was drinking his milk and wanted to be hugged at the same time. He wanted comforting and assuring hands and not his pillow. I also thank you Lord, for watching over my wife last night and bringing her safely home. I thank you for healing Joel of his fever and viral stomach flu. Lastly, I thank you, Lord for giving us another day here on earth. I commit this day into your mighty hands; keep us protected from all anxieties and distractions of this world; keep us focused on you and obeying your will. I asked all of these in the Holy Name of Jesus, your beloved Son. Amen.

My reading - Psalm 10 The Lord will call us to account

Father, You see all and take note of what we have done on earth. You see the proud and wicked oppressing the poor; bragging about their evil desires; praising the greedy and cursing You. The wicked people are too proud to seek God; they seem to think that God is dead. Though the wicked succeed in everything they do but they do not see Your punishment awaiting them. They say to themselves ‘nothing bad will happen to us and we are free of trouble forever.’ But Lord, You do see the trouble and grief the wicked has caused. You take account of it and punish them. The helpless put their trust in You as You are the defenders of orphans. You know the hope of the helpless and surely You will listen to their cries and comfort them.

My reflections - While re-reading the chapter, my thoughts bring me to the story of a young and aggressive officer of a company who proved to his bosses of his worth by successfully raising funds through public offering of shares and other fund raising vehicles. The bankers and portfolio managers quickly snapped up the offer and after analyzing the company’s books, they were so convinced of the company’s present and future financial capability and strength and started to give huge loans to it. The officer was on a high roller coaster ride and gleamed of his accomplishments and rewards from the bosses. Bankers admired him and co-workers aspired to be like him. But, the high ride was short-lived due to the market’s downturn and resulted to the company’s inability to service its debt with all the creditors. Creditors sued the company as it defaulted on the debts; some claiming that the financial records were pumped-up to show higher earnings. The bosses got together and pointed the finger at the officer of the company who allowed all this to happen. The officer was also asked to leave the company or face more accusations in court from the creditors. After this whole incident, nobody wanted to be associated with the young officer; bankers snubbed and sneered at him; co-workers even betrayed him by saying to the bosses, they only did their job following his instructions and worst of all, he could not get a decent job after his departure, as no other company wanted to hire him.

My feelings go with the young officer and the co-workers but they are not free of the offence against God. Why? Because he was doing his job and as an officer, he was responsible for the company’s well being and financial future growth. I’m sure he informed his superiors and reported to them what he was planning to do and how he was to accomplish this. As a boss, you would like to know how this will be achieved. If there was real evidence of ‘fudging the books’, the young officer did it knowingly and deliberately and this was wrong and this was an offence against God. If the bosses knew about it and still let him continue with plan, they too were wrong and it was an offence against God. And likewise, if the co-workers knew what they were doing was wrong and continued to do so, this was also wrong and also an offence against God.

At the end of it all, we will all be held accountable to what we do here on earth because God watches us 24-7 and 365 days a year. The offences we commit against God are in the Book of Life which the Lord will show us at judgment day.

My prayer – Lord and Father, may You always guide me to live a godly life. May You send Your Holy Spirit to be my conscience in the daily business dealings I go through. May I have Your wisdom to do what is right and pleasing to You. I give You full control of my dealings with others, and full control of my life from here on. I know that You will guide me in path of righteousness. All these I pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

by Joey B

Joey's Journal August 11, 2006

O Lord, I give You thanks and praise for another day that You give us here on earth. Thank You for sending Your angels to camp in our house and protect us from any evil that is out there. I thank You, Lord for watching over my wife when she is out and bringing her safely home. Praise God! I pray for Joel who is still with the viral stomach flu that You will heal him today and make him feel better. I also pray for Your help in getting Joel be balloted for his new school. If he doesn’t make it in that school, I know that this is Your plan and will help us find him another school. Lord, keep me focusing on You today. Lastly, I pray for loved ones, my nephew Dino and family, that You look after them; give them protection and safe flight to Manila this afternoon. All these I pray with Jesus’ Mighty and Glorious Name. Amen.

My reading- Psalm 9 The Lord will judge and He will be fair

O Lord, our God, You reign forever, executing judgment from Your throne. You will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness. You will rebuke the nations and destroy the wicked; my enemies have met their doom; their cities are perpetual ruins and even the memory of their uprooted cities is lost. Yet Lord, You are a shelter for the oppressed; a refuge in times of trouble; and those who know Your name trust in You for You do not abandon them. O Lord, do not let mere mortals defy you! Let the nations be judged in your presence; make them tremble in fear and let them know they are mere human and You are God!.

My reflections – The thought of not being with You in heaven, scares me! The mere idea of You not in control of my life, makes me weak and I stumble and fall in Satan’s snares. Before, I always thought I controlled my life without You. My achievements and good accomplishments, I thought, I did by myself. The decisions I made then, I believed, were totally without Your help. But I know differently now, I could not have done them without You. In times when I followed, You were always with me and when I decided to disobey You, this hurt You dearly. I know You will be fair when I am with You face to face during final judgment. My sins and offences against You will be presented to me. O God, I hope for Your mercy and forgiveness for past and present sins. Your love and compassion I will long for!

My prayer – Dear God, as I said above, I am scared of not being with You. I am scared I won’t be invited to the heavenly banquet You have prepared. Lord, I confess my past and present sins and am truly sorry for them. These offences have hurt You dearly and I ask Your forgiveness and mercy. May Your unfailing love and compassion be bestowed on me for I commit the rest of my life serving You and being godly. Lord, help me in this goal I have placed upon Your feet and I promise to give You all honor and glory from this day forward. All these I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen.

by Joey B